Insurance for pressure washing businesses is essential, as it helps protect business owners from paying out of pocket for expensive accidents or lawsuits.
This article explains what business insurance for pressure washing is, how much it costs and factors affecting price, and lists the top providers for pressure washing insurance so you can get the best coverage for your company.
What Is Pressure Washing Insurance?
Insurance for pressure washing businesses encompasses several policies that can help protect you from financial losses associated with accidents, mistakes, injuries, and lawsuits.
Common pressure washing business risks include property damage, customer or employee injuries, or lawsuits arising from negligence claims or business mistakes. The right policy for you depends on your unique business needs.
Types of Insurance That Pressure Washing Businesses Might Need
So, what is the right kind of pressure washer business insurance for your company? You should select your policy (or combination of policies) based on your specific business needs. Let’s take a closer look at the different types of insurance your pressure washing business might need.
General Liability Insurance
Pressure washing liability insurance is one of the most common types of business insurance, as it helps to protect you from paying out of pocket for medical expenses if your business accidentally causes someone to get injured (for instance, if someone slips and falls) or damages someone’s property (for example, if an employee accidentally breaks a customer’s lighting fixture).
General liability insurance can also help cover legal costs from personal injury lawsuits, such as if someone accuses your business of libel (publishing a false statement about someone), slander (saying something untrue about someone), or defamation (damaging someone’s reputation).
Professional Liability Insurance
Professional liability insurance (aka errors and omissions or E&O insurance) can help pay for legal defense fees or settlement or judgment costs if your pressure washing business is accused of any of the following:
- Negligence: not taking appropriate steps to warn someone of a potentially harmful aspect of your business
- Misrepresentation: false statements about what your business is capable of
- Breach of contract: missing deadlines or not completing the full scope of contracted work
- Inaccurate information: giving bad advice or false information
Commercial Property Insurance
Commercial property insurance (also referred to as business property insurance) helps protect your pressure washing company’s building and its contents (including equipment, inventory, and tools) if they get damaged by covered events, which can include:
- Fire
- Storms
- Theft
- Vandalism
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Workers’ compensation insurance (or workers’ comp) can help cover medical expenses, lost wages, and disability benefits if an employee gets hurt at work. Many states require pressure washing businesses with employees to carry workers’ comp insurance.
How Much Does Pressure Washing Insurance Cost?
Pressure washing insurance cost depends on several factors, including:
- Location: Pressure washing businesses located in certain high crime areas, places affected by natural disasters, or cities with high legal fees may pay more for coverage.
- Number of employees: The more employees you have, the more your risk for accidents increases.
- Claims history: If you have a clean claims history, you will likely pay less for insurance premiums than a company with more claims. Some insurance companies will give you a discount if you stay with them for a certain amount of time with no claims.
- Coverage limits: Pressure washing companies with higher risks may want more coverage. Purchasing an umbrella policy (insurance that kicks in once you exceed your policy limits) or endorsements (optional additional coverage) can increase your premiums.
Keep in mind that the seemingly cheapest pressure washing insurance may not necessarily be the best. While you may choose a higher deductible (the amount you pay before insurance pays out) to lower your monthly costs, that would mean that you would have to pay more upfront if a covered event did occur.
9 Best Pressure Washing Insurance Providers
We analyzed highly-rated insurance companies and picked the nine top pressure washing insurance providers. These companies offer excellent customer service, a wide range of policy options, and various perks and benefits for their customers.
Read on to find the right company to insure your pressure washing business.
Next Insurance
We love Next’s simple, attractive website, quick online quotes, and industry-specific coverage options. Depending on your needs, Next may direct you to contact its partner Tivly to get pressure washing insurance such as general liability or tools and equipment coverage. Tivly works with hundreds of insurance carriers and brokers to connect customers with the best policies for their unique needs.
Next’s monthly starting prices for pressure washing insurance are:
- General liability: $11
- Professional liability: $18.34
- Commercial property: $17
- Workers’ compensation: $12
The Hartford
The Hartford’s website offers in-depth explanations of the types of policies it offers and who they are best suited for. The Hartford provides insurance specifically for pressure washing, including:
- Business owners policy (BOP) – a combination of general liability, property, and business income insurance (helps replace lost revenue if you have to close temporarily due to a covered event)
- Workers’ compensation
- Professional liability
- Commercial auto (if you need coverage for company cars)
If The Hartford can’t create a quote for your specific company, it will direct you to Tivly for your coverage needs.
The Hartford’s average monthly costs for pressure washing insurance are:
- General liability: $67
- Professional liability: $300
- Workers’ compensation: $81 (for businesses with less than $300k in annual payroll)
- Commercial property: $125
Gallagher
Gallagher is an insurance brokerage that can provide customers with multiple quotes from top insurance companies.
It offers commercial auto, cyber liability (helps protect against financial loss from data breaches or cyberattacks), and commercial umbrella insurance, as well as the following pressure washing insurance options:
- General liability
- Professional liability
- Commercial property
- Workers’ compensation
You can submit an online form to get quotes from different insurance companies. If Gallagher can’t provide you with an immediate quote, it will contact you, or you can call it (833-292-9441) if you have any questions.
Business Insurance Center
The Business Insurance Center has been around for 30 years and maintains a blog explaining various insurance topics, so you know that they are knowledgeable about their products. The Business Insurance Center offers several small business insurance policies, including:
- General liability
- Professional liability
- Workers’ compensation
- Business property
Pressure washing companies that want more insurance options can also choose business auto, cyber security, or BOP coverage.
You can submit your business information online or via chat to request a customized quote.
CNA
CNA offers insurance solutions designed specifically for small businesses. Its essential pressure washing insurance options include professional liability and workers’ compensation coverage. You can also get general liability and property insurance through CNA Connect (its BOP). CNA Connect has over 300 optional endorsements that pressure washing businesses can use to fill any coverage gaps.
You can use CNA’s Find an Agent tool to connect with a local insurance agent and get a personalized quote.
Nationwide
Nationwide offers both insurance and financial services, so it is a good choice for pressure washing companies that also need investment products such as retirement plans or mutual funds. It provides a wide array of business insurance policies, including a BOP, commercial auto, business income, equipment breakdown, and umbrella insurance.
Nationwide’s pressure washing insurance options include:
- Business liability (general liability)
- Errors and omissions
- Commercial property
- Workers’ compensation
When we filled out the (lengthy) online quote form, we received quotes underwritten by multiple agencies for a pressure washing business located in Florida with five part-time employees and an annual revenue of $250k:
- Hiscox (general liability): $16,878.13/year
- Next (general liability): $15,818.00/year
- Arch Insurance (professional liability): $804/year
Nationwide also provides solutions for larger businesses, as well as risk management resources and employee benefit options.
You can get a custom quote online, and then call an agent to purchase your policy.
Travelers
Travelers offers industry-specific insurance solutions for a variety of professions. Its Building Services Contractors Insurance is the best bet for pressure washers, as it includes its INDUSTRYEdge program. INDUSTRYEdge is designed to help protect against the unique risks professionals like pressure washers face–such as customers slipping and falling or an employee accidentally damaging a client’s property. INDUSTRYEdge coverage options include:
- Workers’ compensation
- General liability
- Property
Additionally, pressure washing companies can get auto, umbrella, and crime (covers loss of money from theft or fraud) insurance.
To get a quote, you can contact an agent by using Travelers’ Find an Agent tool.
State Farm
Along with a full suite of insurance products, State Farm also offers personal and commercial banking and investment services. State Farm is a good choice for pressure washing companies that want an all-in-one stop for all their financial and insurance needs.
State Farm provides different pressure washing insurance policies that can be purchased on their own, including a BOP that combines property and liability insurance in one package and workers’ compensation insurance.
If you need full coverage, its Artisan and Service Contractors Insurance is a good choice for pressure washing businesses, as it includes:
- Business personal property: helps protect your equipment from accidental loss
- Building property: helps protect your company’s building and other structures
- Business liability: covers lawsuit costs
- Completed operations: pays for property damage or bodily injury claims that happen after a project has been completed
- Mobile equipment: covers mobile tools and equipment
- Installation floater: covers business property while in transit or at a job site
- Property of others: helps pay for third-party property damage
You can get a customized quote by contacting a State Farm agent via its online Find an Agent tool.
Simply Business
Simply Business is an insurance broker that offers insurance with monthly payments and $0 deductibles, which can be a good choice for high-risk pressure washing companies that want their insurance to kick in right away if a covered event occurs. Just remember that lower deductible plans often come with higher monthly premiums.
Simply Business offers two policies for pressure washing businesses: general liability and workers’ compensation insurance. You can also purchase business personal property or inland marine (protects equipment or materials while in transit or at a job site) insurance to help protect your pressure washing equipment and tools.
Simply Business’s monthly pressure washing premiums start at:
- General liability: $21
- Workers’ compensation: $44
- Contractor’s equipment and small tools: $27
You can fill out an online form with information about your pressure washing business to get quotes from multiple insurance companies.
When we filled out Simply Business’s online quote form, we received a wide range of prices for general liability coverage:
- Frank Winston Crum Insurance: $84.93/month
- Clear Blue Insurance Company: $91.87/month
- Hiscox: $313.97/month
- American Builder Insurance Company: $455/month
- Accredited America: $81.17/month
- Harborway Insurance: $930.32/month
Conclusion
Power washing business insurance is essential for any pressure washing company that wants to avoid paying out of pocket for legal fees and bodily injury and property damage expenses.
The main types of pressure washing insurance are:
- General liability
- Professional liability
- Commercial property
- Workers’ compensation
The cost of pressure washing insurance depends on several factors, including your location, number of employees, coverage limits, claims history, and level of risk.
The best pressure washing insurance providers offer industry-specific coverage designed with your unique risks in mind.
